Vasodilator and Antioxidant Effect of Xanthones Isolated from Brazilian Medicinal Plants

Abstract

Vasorelaxant and antioxidant activities are important in the therapy for cardiovascular diseases. We aimed at investigating the vasorelaxant and antioxidant activities of six xanthones isolated from Brazilian medicinal plants. Xanthone ( 1), 1-hydroxyxanthone ( 2), 4-hydroxyxanthone ( 3), 1-hydroxy-8-methoxyxanthone ( 4), 1,3-dihydroxy-7-methoxyxanthone ( 5) and 2,6,8-trihydroxy-1-methoxyxanthone ( 6) induced concentration-dependent vasorelaxant effects in endothelium-intact mice aortic rings. The presence of a hydroxy group in position 1 seemed to decrease the vasodilator effect while a hydroxy in position 4 and an increased number of hydroxy groups improved the vasorelaxatory potential of xanthones. All xanthones showed antioxidant activity but their potencies did not correlate with the vasodilator effect. Our results suggest that the tested xanthones are potentially vasorelaxant and antioxidant compounds but the two activities are not interrelated.

Influence of Hydroxyl Functional Group on the Structure and Stability of Xanthone: A Computational Approach

“…Hydroxyxanthones are abundantly found in many plants [ 16 , 17 ] and are reported to have a great deal of biological activities including vasorelaxing, antimalarial and antioxidative effects [ 18 , 19 ]. In particular, being a rich source of natural hydroxyxanthones, mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) has long been used to treat diarrheal illness in traditional medicine, and more recently is considered a natural chemopreventive agent [ 20 ].…”

Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the 2,8-Dihydroxy-1,6-Dimethoxyxanthone from Haploclathra paniculata (Mart) Benth (Guttiferae)

“…3,4 Xanthones have been reported to have numerous biological properties, including the antithrombotic and anticancer effects, 5 protein kinase C inhibitor activity, 6 antihypertensive and vasodilatory effects, 7 endothelial cell protective effects, 8 anti-inflammatory, 3,5,[9][10][11] analgesic, 10 and antioxidant activities. 4,7 The 2,8-dihydroxy-1,6-dimethoxyxanthone has been isolated from the H. paniculata, 12 Triperospermum chinense, 13 Gentiana kochiana, 14 and Juglans mandshurica 15 genera. This xanthone has been described as an antimycobacterial agent 16 and elicits central inhibition of monoamine oxidase A.…”

Hydroxyxanthone as an inhibitor of cAMP-activated apical chloride channel in human intestinal epithelial cell

“…Furthermore, structure-activity analysis of plant-derived flavonoids has suggested that phenolic groups are responsible for the inhibitory effect of flavonoids on cAMP-activated Cl − secretion (Illek et al, 2000). Hydroxyxanthones are phenolcontaining molecules abundantly found in many plants, especially those of Clusiaceae or Guttiferae, and are reported to have a great deal of biological activities including vasorelaxing, antimalarial and antioxidative effects (Capettini et al, 2009;Ignatushchenko et al, 1997;Wang et al, 2008). In particular, mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), which is a rich source of natural hydroxyxanthones, has long been used to treat diarrheal illness in traditional medicine (Pedraza-Chaverri et al, 2008).…”